Life as a spy
by Gracques
Summary: Ria Deleru became a successful dancer in Hanera's Dance Troupe after she fled from her mate, Nik. However, three years after she started hew new life and now that she is well settled in it, a young Jedi she once met comes to ask for her service, and not as a dancer. What is so important about one of Ria's best clients to interest the Barsen'thor?
1. Life in the Old Galactic Market

**Beginning of a short fanfic based on the video game Star Wars: The Old Republic. This is my first attempt to make a Star Wars fanfiction.**

 **English isn't my first language, so please don't be too harsh with the quality of my writing for the grammar, punctuation or anything else concerning the language.**

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 **LIFE IN THE OLD GALACTIC MARKET**

Ria stood before the bar, drinking her nautolan drink deeply and slowly. She needed it after this hard week. It remembered her of her home on Glee Anselm. She and Nik left it many years ago to come on Coruscant, seeking a new life. Sadly, they discovered quickly the planet wasn't the place where it was easy to accomplish their dreams. Coruscant was the center of the galaxy, the capital of the Galactic Republic, but it was one huge big city covering a planet whose population was about a trillion people. To say people lacked space would be an understatement. It was entirely different from the watered planet Ria knew in her childhood.

However, the lack of water or anything natural didn't bother Ria so much. She and Nik knew how the planet was when they came. They chose to live in a big planetary city and they wanted it, but they didn't expect life to be so difficult here. And they didn't expect war to reach this place so quickly, or even to reach it at all. They should have known when they left their world. The Republic and the Empire had been at war for nearly thirty years when they moved to Coruscant. When they arrived, riots caused by starvation because of the Sith blockade had just ended. She and Nik used what they saved on their homeworld to buy a house. Sadly, the Sacking of Coruscant happened not long after. Their home was destroyed in the bombardment by the Sith fleet. Ever since, life had been a hell for both of them.

She and Nik were refugees now. They lived as they could, taking the jobs they could get, fighting to keep their little corner in the Old Galactic Market. Sometimes they had to search the garbage to find useful things to have heat, power, or to sell items in order to get money. By luck, up to now, they never had to search the garbage for food. At the end of each week, they allowed themselves an evening in a cantina. That was their moment to relax and they would never turn their back on it.

"Hello, beauty."

Ria turned to face a yellow Twi'lek. He was a little taller than her, and she had to admit he was quite handsome. However, she wasn't going to fall for a handsome face so easily. She knew what kind of men these could be, but it could also be only a game for this one. She decided to play the game. It would be entertaining and would help her to think about something else than her precarious situation.

"Hello, guy. What can I do for you?"

"Let me buy you a drink." His voice was seductive, but Ria thought she heard some kind of amusement in it.

"Alright, I won't refuse one by a handsome guy like you."

The Twi'lek smiled and ordered two corellian beers. He was quite a good company. His name was Nessos. They laughed together for some time and Ria soon learned he wasn't making a pass at her for real. He made a bet with some friends in a corner that he would be able to get a kiss from her. If that was all he needed, Ria had nothing against it. It was only a kiss. That wasn't as if it meant anything. They didn't kiss immediately, that would look suspicious in his friend's eyes. They both played their part. Ria made the girl who laughed at each of his jokes and allowed him to put his hand on her thigh or her hip a few short times. Then finally, when they thought they had his friends believe it enough, they exchanged a long kiss.

"Thank you, beauty," Nessos said as he left her, right after the kiss. Ria could see the friends he talked about in a corner. Nik chose this time to stop the guy on his path.

"Hey, what do you think you're doing? It's my wife you just touched."

Nessos was rather drunk. He had ordered them drinks three times during their discussion. Nik was drunk as well. She could feel it wouldn't end well.

"Relax, my friend. I did nothing wrong. It was only a bet I did with my friends. That was nothing serious."

"Nothing serious! You just touched and kissed my Ria." Nik gave him a push on his shoulder.

"Hey, calm down man. I did nothing wrong. You can ask her. She'll tell you. She agreed to do that. That was only a game."

"I don't believe you. Ria would never do something like that. She's not like this. You forced her to do it."

Ria rolled her eyes and walked towards the two guys. Nik's jealousy really was annoying sometimes. She was old enough to protect herself. She wasn't a child.

"Hey, Nik! That's enough. He's telling the truth. He did nothing to me. Let him be. Anyway it's time to leave now."

"Out of question! I won't leave before I deal with this rapist." _By all water that exists. This is going to get wrong._

"Rapist! Are you calling me a rapist? Is it of me you're talking?" Nessos was obviously angry now. Drunk and angry.

"Yes, I'm talking of you, piece of shit!"

The brawl started as Nessos hit Nik right between the two eyes. Then he grabbed Ria's husband by the chest and pushed him towards the bar. Nik collided with it, but seized a bottle and smashed it on Nessos's head. Both the men struggled together and exchanged punches and kicks. Ria feared for a moment the Twi'lek's friends might come to help him, but they just stood aside and looked at the show, just like everyone else, until the cantina's guards separated them and threw both Nik and Nessos outside from different doors.

When Ria went outside to find Nik, he was all bloody and had a hard time standing on his feet. That was all his fault. He looked for trouble.

"You really are an idiot, you know." She gave a kick in his ribs as he still laid on the street. "Now stand up. We go back home."

Ria had to support her mate through all the streets until they reached their apartment. They were lucky to not encounter any undesirable people. In his state, Nik wouldn't have been able to defend himself, and Ria wondered if she would have been able to defend both of them on her own. She let him drop heavily on the mattress they had in a corner of the only room of their "house". Their apartment was all dirty, full of vermin crawling in all corners. They couldn't even afford a bed in their precarious situation. They barely managed to have enough food to eat. Ria looked at the generator. It was near exhaustion. She would need to find new batteries tomorrow and alone. Nik may not be able to rise in his state.

"Are you alright?"

Ria boiled in anger at her mate's question. "Am I alright? Of course I'm alright! You should ask this question to yourself, damn idiot! Have you any idea what you look like?"

"I was only trying to protect you," he pleaded.

"Trying to protect me! I didn't need protection, Nik. I was perfectly safe. The guy did nothing to me."

"He kissed you against your will. I saw him."

"That was only a bet he made with friends. He was only playing and I played the game. There was nothing serious in all that. You really are a pain in the ass when you want."

"I just don't want you to get hurt."

"In this case, you should have stayed at your place while the guy was going back to his table. Nothing of all this would have happened if you remained quiet. Instead you made a scene and started a fight."

"He's the one who punched me in the face first. I was only defending myself. I was defending both of us."

"If you hadn't called him a rapist that would never have happened."

Nik remained silent for a moment. "I was only trying to protect you, my love."

Ria sighed. "Next time, do me a favor: don't try to protect me. I can defend myself when I'm in danger. Now rest. You're injured, and you need to not move if you want a chance to stand up on the morning."

Nik didn't speak afterwards. It wasn't long before he fell asleep and Ria could hear his snoring. She went to sleep at his side after a moment. She turned her back on him. Life had been insufferable for Ria during the last three years. At the beginning when they arrived on Coruscant, it wasn't so bad. Of course, they had trouble to get the first necessities ever since the sacking, but they managed to live all the same despite this. Everyone didn't have this luck. However, their situation had become worse as time passed. The Migrant Merchant's Guild slowly established racketeering activities and now everyone had to pay for their protection.

It wasn't their precarious economic situation that bothered Ria the most. It was Nik's behavior she couldn't support anymore. He always was very protective and obsessed with her. At the beginning, she liked it. She felt like someone special in his eyes. However, it started to bother her with time. Nik always wanted to be there to protect her, to watch over her, and with their difficult situation he had become worse. Ria could barely speak to someone else now without Nik looming to defend her from some supposed danger. Ria wanted to have some life, and Nik denied it to her. He wanted to control every part of her life for her own "safety". She was old enough to take care of herself, but Nik didn't seem to understand this. She wondered for how long she would be able to support it. She fell asleep on these thoughts.

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 **Please review**

 **For everyone who like Game of Thrones and/or A Song of Ice and Fire, I have another fanfic in writing process, longer than this one. "A Shadow and a Wolf".**


	2. The Escape

**This chapter happens a few months after the events in the first chapter. Things aren't better between Ria and Nik.**

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 **THE ESCAPE**

She opened a can with the laser opener. The smell coming from it was welcome after all this time. Today the refugees all receive rations of food enough to eat for a week. Ria couldn't remember the last time the government sent them food. Her stomach fluttered as her nose picked the wonderful scent coming from the meat drenched into the sauce. These were supposed to be survival rations, but for Ria it was paradise. It was far better than the scarce and dry food she and Nik were used to for the last years. Finally there was someone in the Galactic Senate who decided to do something for them.

Ria hadn't been very impressed when Senator Vanara Kayl was elected last year. For her, this woman clad in what the Coruscantis called rich clothes was only another opportunist who lived comfortably while refugees struggled to survive below. In fact, Ria didn't care about who was senator. She had no time to care about it. She had to focus on managing to live in this sector full of refugees, criminals and thieves. It wasn't by bothering about a government who could do nothing for them that Ria would find food to eat, credits to pay the rent and the Guild's protection and essential commodities for her life and Nik's life.

However, it seemed that for one time, someone in the government really tried to make things better. Ria first heard on the Holonet that the corruption around the reconstruction efforts on the planet had lowered considerably after Vanara Kayl's election. The news on their hologram station showed regularly that the reconstruction was going much better and quicker ever since this woman took charge of it. And Ria could see it by herself. There were many more construction sites in the Old Galactic Market than before and they weren't abandoned as several once were. More workers were hired than before and some of the refugees could find work through the reconstruction effort. Sadly, Nik didn't manage to be among these lucky people.

There were still problems that slowed the construction however. The Migrant Merchant's Guild was the first of these problems. Sometimes they attacked some of the buildings being rebuilt. That showed how the Guild really cared about them. The authorities were finally reconstructing, and the Guild tried to stop their efforts. Their leaders only cared about money and power, not about the refugees. The presence of the security forces had been reinforced in the sector, though mostly around construction sites. The organized crime still ruled all the area and made the reconstruction more difficult through sabotage, threats to the workers and terrorism. All the same, the situation was better than before. The government even started again to give them food and Ria wasn't about to refuse it. Men of the CSF, the Coruscant Security Force, distributed the rations today, and they would continue to do so one time each month. That wasn't enough to cover all their needs for food, but it still meant they had less food to buy each month, and the rations the CSF gave them were better than the food the refugees managed to get most of the time. Ria took half the content of the can and threw it into her plate, leaving the other half for Nik when he would come back.

She ate with much appetite, her tongue relishing to the wonderful taste of the meat. She drank some water to wash it down. Then she went to their hologram and started searching for some work she could do. She had to find a job. Nik couldn't find one right now, so Ria did her best to find one for herself, though she wondered if Nik would let her take it. She had tried more than once to be hired as a waitress in some cantina, but each time Nik ruined it by coming to her meeting of hiring. He really was a pain in the ass. She was trying to get work, and Nik prevented her to find one, saying she would be miserable if she worked in a place where patrons would touch her. She was fed up about Nik's protective behavior. She could defend herself better than Nik.

Her mate had grown more insufferable than ever these last weeks. His failure to find work and enough money made him even more overprotective towards her. Ria wondered if he didn't find any work on purpose only so he could keep an eye on her. She was quarrelling with him one night over two. Nik still refused to let her work if it meant she could be touched or assaulted in any way, but here, they were always at risk. No matter what Ria would find, she would be at risk. Nik was really blind. Ria had come to the conclusion she should leave him. It would be better for her, and it would be better for him. Their marriage was a complete disaster. There was no other way.

However, Ria hesitated to do so. Nik loved her so much. She feared his reaction if she just walked away. Not that he would harm her. He would never do such a thing, even when he was drunk. These last times, he had come back drunk to their apartment more often than usual, but he was no threat when drunk, only unable to do anything. That was another thing that annoyed Ria with him. The problem was Ria didn't want to hurt Nik. It would destroy him if she abandoned him like that. She couldn't bring herself to hurt him after so many years spent with him. She had to find a way to make him understand, or believe, they were forced to separate and that he had no chance to get her back. But how? Ria already thought about all of this many times, and she was yet to come with a solution that would work.

Nik entered in their shabby room, his face covered with blood. Ria sighed. He probably fell on some man he fought with before because he thought he was making advances on her. Nik had a gift to put himself into unnecessary trouble each time he thought he had to protect her. And each time she didn't need to be protected. He always put himself into trouble for no reason. She went to him with a wet towel to wash the blood out of his face.

"So, what was it this time? Again someone you met previously in a cantina?" she asked.

"No. Nothing like that. I met much worse. A thug from the Guild."

Ria sighed again. "You managed to get a fight with one of these men? You must really be stupid! We don't start a fight with these sweepings."

"I didn't start it. He's the one who just beat me as I walked into the street. He said I failed the last protection payment. He told me if I didn't pay tomorrow, there would be worse retributions, that this would be nothing compared to what he would do to me. He even threatened to play with you if I didn't pay."

Ria didn't know if they should be afraid. The guild wasn't as organized as some people may think. Sometimes they let a protection payment unpaid without consequences, other times they were really paying a visit to those who refused or forgot to pay. Well, that wouldn't be a problem for long anyway. Tomorrow Nik was working in a trash collector and would receive enough credits to pay the guild. It was a job he had only a day per week, but it was better than nothing. Ria helped him clean his wound. Then Nik ate the portion of meat Ria had left for him and they went to sleep afterwards.

As Nik slept beside her, an idea grew in Ria's mind. She may have an opportunity tomorrow to solve most of their problems without crushing her mate's heart. They took a breakfast tomorrow on the food the authorities gave them, then Nik went for his job. After an hour, Ria decided to execute her plan. She overturned the furniture in their apartment and placed some objects on the floor. Then she left a written message on their hologram in a very crude language for Nik to see it when he would come back from work this evening.

 _No one mocks the Migrant Merchant's Guild. You should have paid us in time. Your girl will make a very fine compensation once we sell her as a dancer. You better stay away from her if you wish her to live. Don't ever try to find her, or you'll die. We forget about your failed last payment as a compensation for this._

Ria left their house to never come back. Nik would think she was kidnapped, not that she abandoned him. He would be heartbroken, but less than if she left him officially. She went near a speeder station. A few weeks ago, she had come there, wanting to forget about the Old Galactic Market, the Migrant Merchant's Guild and Nik by walking without fear in a secure place. The zones around the speeder stations were the only ones protected enough by the CSF to be called safe places, though there were still accidents that happened there between the men of the Guild and the security forces. All the same, these were the safest places in the Old Galactic Market. When she came here weeks ago, she had run into Hanera, a Twi'lek woman who told her she was looking for dancers to join her troupe. Of course, she was looking for erotic dancers and Ria had no choice but to refuse because of Nik back then. But now there was nothing stopping her from joining this troupe. It may not be the most desirable occupation in the world, but it was something Ria thought could be a beginning. After all, she needed credits and she didn't have much disgust to dance for men.

Ria arrived at her destination. The rooms Hanera's Dance Troupe occupied were comfortable and richly decorated of course, and many women, many were Twi'leks, were already dancing for customers. Ria looked at one more intently. She was barely dressed, her erotic clothes displaying half her breasts and half her buttocks, a falling rectangular tissue covering the space between her legs. A guard welcomed her.

"What do you want?"

"I wish to see Hanera. I met her a few weeks ago and she told me she was looking for people like me to enter her troupe."

"Your name?"

"Ria Deleru."

He looked at her from head to toe. "Wait here. I'll come back soon."

Ria sat on a chair nearby. It was a comfortable red chair with padding. It was much more than she ever had since she came to Coruscant. She watched the dancers display their talents before men of all species. She tried to register their movements the best she could. She may have to perform them one day.

The guard came back. "Hanera is ready to see you. Please follow me."

Ria followed the guard to the room at the very back of the troupe's quarters. She passed before more women performing different dances, trying again to remember their movements. Finally they entered a luxuriously furnished chamber that looked like a bedchamber as much as an office. The guard left her here. A female red Twi'lek was standing before her, her hands folded before her. She wasn't near complete nakedness like the other women Ria saw as she walked in here, but her outfit was quite attractive all the same. An opening in her dress revealed the middle of her body, from her neck to her tummy. Two other openings to the bottom of the dress revealed very elegant legs up to the thighs. It wasn't erotic, but it was appealing, Ria couldn't deny it. When Ria had met her in the street, she was dressed more properly, but it seems she changed her attire depending on the circumstances.

Hanera greeted her with a reassuring smile. "I'm glad to see you again, Ria. I was hoping you would come back."

Ria was surprised. "You remember me?"

"Of course I remember you. I have a very good memory. It's very useful in my profession. Soon it may be your profession as well. I have a feeling you have a lot of potential. But first, I would like to know why you came here. Money? Freedom? Power? I want to know the reasons why you would want to become an erotic dancer."

Ria didn't really know what to make of it. Why was she so interested by her motivations? After all, all that mattered was if Ria could be a good dancer, nothing more. But her possible employer asked her a question, so she answered. "My mate, Nik, is very possessive. Not necessarily in the wrong way. He's not an evil man, but he's very jealous. He sees himself as the man who must always look at me and protect me from the others, when it's not necessary. Our relationship turned to be a disaster. I needed to go, for him as well as for me. I want to make something of my life, and right now this seems to be a good place to start."

Hanera nodded in understanding. "It doesn't bother you that men may look at you with desire?" she asked.

"No, not at all. And if they dare to touch me, then I can defend myself."

Hanera smiled reassuringly. "That won't be necessary. My troupe has its own guards to protect everyone. Men are not allowed to touch my dancers, unless they want to be kicked out to never be admitted again. You don't have to worry with us. Life is good as long as it doesn't bother us to be looked at. Men see us, but nothing more. I think you have the temper to be an erotic dancer, but first I must see what you can do. There is an outfit ready for you behind these curtains." She pointed the space behind. "Get changed and show me what you're capable of."

With an encouraging smile from Hanera, Ria went behind the curtains. She had to make a good impression if she wanted to be hired. She remembered the dances she saw when she arrived and quickly thought about how to dance in the most voluptuous way possible. She hoped she would impress Hanera. A new life was about to begin for Ria Deleru. A life without Nik.

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	3. For Better or Worse

**Third chapter, with much less original elements in it, but important for the rest of the story all the same.**

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 **FOR BETTER OR WORSE**

Ria walked towards the troupe's rooms. It was two weeks now since she left Nik and her situation improved a lot in comparison to her time with him. Hanera rented a decent apartment for her in the same zone than the troupe's offices. For now Ria was still training, but Hanera told her she had a lot of potential and would start to work in a few days, which meant Ria would begin to receive her own wages very soon. As Ria walked to her new job, she noticed the heavy presence of the CSF. They had more men here than usually, and they were heavily armed. Ria didn't know what was going on, but it couldn't be anything good. She pressed her pace to arrive to Hanera's offices as quickly as possible.

When she arrived, she noticed there were four security guards before the entrance contrarily to two in normal circumstances. They had blasters at their belt, but also electric stick. She thought she even noticed grenades on them. They were armed for war. What the hell was going on? They stopped her as she approached.

"Halt. Identify yourself."

"Ria Deleru. I'm working here."

"Show us your papers to confirm your identity."

Ria handed an identity card for the troupe Hanera gave her the day she arrived. Her name was inscribed on it with her image. It was a way to present herself to some clients. One of the security guards scanned the card.

"It's okay. You can go in."

What could be going on to require so much security? Ria went to see Hanera just like at the beginning of each day. Hanera was done discussing with a green Twi'lek dancer called Zala. Ria had spoken with her a few times since she arrived and the Twi'lek was quite sympathetic with her. She was the closest person she had for a friend right now.

"Good morning Ria. I hope you're alright. You had no problem in coming here?" Hanera asked her.

"None, except the heavy security at the doors. Can you tell me what's going on?"

"I'm sorry for all this trouble. We must be careful. The Coruscant Security Forces are on warpath. They started a vast operation to neutralize the riots."

Ria's already wide eyes widened even more. "The riots?"

"Yes. It's the Migrant Merchant's Guild. They started riots. To be honest, it looks more like a civil war than simple riots. Their men are attacking with real weapons. Senator Vanara Kayl mobilized the CSF to quell the rioters, but I'm afraid there will be many deaths and injured people by the end of the day, on both sides."

Ria was afraid all of a sudden. "Are we in danger?"

"No, you don't have to worry," Hanera reassured her. "I doubled our own security forces and reinforced their armament just in case. And the CSF controls this sector for now. We are far from the fighting zones. I'm more afraid about the girls who live in the Old Galactic Market and who must pass through this chaos to get here. I tried to join as many of them as I could, but the Holonet lines are cut in some sectors. The Guild tries to make communications more difficult with the Market. For now, none of us should leave this place until the CSF re-establishes order. It's safer."

Ria was reassured. They were safe… for now. "What do I have to do for today?"

"Go to the recruit's room. I'll come to see you later. Put on your outfit and stretch your body."

Ria left. She didn't feel safe with the riots going on outside, but she was safer here than outside. She tried to relax. It seemed she left the Old Galactic Market just in time. If she still lived in its ruins among the other refugees, she would be stuck between security forces and street gangs. She really left Nik at the right moment.

Nik? Ria stopped in her path. Nik. What would happen to him? She feared what might become of her former mate. She left Nik because life was unbearable with him, but she didn't want anything bad to happen to him. She didn't want him to die. Sadly, there was nothing she could do for him. If he was in the Old Galactic Market, she couldn't go there without getting through the forces of the Migrant Merchant's Guild, and they wouldn't hesitate to shoot her on sight. And if Nik was in the secured zones, then he was safe and Ria had no reason to search for him. She had to make him believe she was kidnapped and that he would never find her again. There was nothing she could do for him, except hope he was safe and wouldn't be stupid enough to get himself killed by the Guild's thugs, or even the security forces.

Ria resumed her walk to the recruit's room. There was no use worrying about Nik. She could only focus on her work and getting better at dancing. That was the best thing to do, and the most useful course of action. She arrived into the room. She was alone. Actually, she was the only recruit of Hanera's Dance Troupe, so it was as if she had her own personal dancing room. Only, she had no client for now. She was still in training. She seized her outfit. It was very lightweight, revealing half her breasts when she wore it. To the opposite of most of the dancers here, Ria's outfit had no hanging shawls. Instead it was a two pieces outfit that revealed around a third or a half of her buttocks. She felt naked the first time she put it on, but after two weeks of training with it, she didn't feel any discomfort when wearing these very light and rich smallclothes. Hanera was impressed by her abilities to learn quickly from observing other dancers. She even managed to impress her new employer yesterday when she improvised her own dance.

Before Ria could start to undress, Zala entered the recruit's room. "Ria. Someone to see you."

"Someone to see me? Who?"

"I don't know. He didn't give his name, but he's quite handsome. Perhaps you know him. He said he was your friend."

Ria didn't understand. No one she considered a friend knew she was here, except Zala. Could it be…? No. Nik couldn't succeed in tracing her. "Was he a Nautolan? Someone of my kind?"

"Oh no, Ria. Not at all. He's a human."

Ria relaxed. It wasn't Nik for sure. She left the room and followed Zala to the main lounge where people found themselves when they entered. Zala led her to the man and left Ria with him. He wasn't what Ria expected. She never saw this man in her life. She was sure. He wore simple brown robes with a hood lowered on his back. He was of average height for a human, white of skin, brown of hair and green of eyes. Ria would say he could probably be quite handsome for a human, but as a Nautolan she wasn't the best judge for this kind of things. She noticed a metallic cylinder hooked at his belt. He didn't seem to have any other weapon on him. There was no mistake. He was a Jedi. A Trandoshan warrior stood behind him, heavily armored with a fighting stick and a cybernetic eye. Ria found it strange that a Jedi asked for her, especially in such a place. She thought the Jedi were sworn to celibacy. Weren't they sword to chastity too? She tried to focus on the young man standing before her and to act casually without noticing the Trandoshan warrior.

"Thank you for considering Hanera's Dance Troupe for your entertainment needs. How may I please you this day?"

"Your husband Nik sent me here," the Jedi said. "He's worried about you. He asked me to get you out of here."

Ria rolled her eyes. That was even worse than she thought. Nik sent a Jedi to "rescue" her. "Blast it. I should've known. I'm afraid you've wasted your time. I'm not here _against my will_."

The Jedi looked puzzled. He raised his arm in an appeasing gesture. "You don't need to lie. I'm only here to help you, nothing more. You can talk to me."

"I'm sorry," Ria began. "I should've told Nik the truth. I was just hoping to spare his feelings. Life with him was miserable. Not only were we barely scraping by, but I was fed up. His jealousy was driving me crazy! He didn't want me talking to anyone or going out. Life here is… better."

The human didn't seem to believe her. "You're really saying you'd rather be a dancer?"

"Oh my stars, yes!" Ria answered, full of certainty and exasperation. Couldn't people accept she liked her life here? "Hanera says she's never seen someone with as much potential as me. I can really make something of myself." _I can have some life here. I had no life with Nik._ "Could you please tell Nik I was shipped off Coruscant? If he thinks I'm gone, he might move on."

After a moment of reflection during which the Jedi didn't look sure whether she was sincere or not, he finally gave the answer Ria wanted to hear. "If that is your choice, you can stay here. Your secret's safe with me."

Ria couldn't be happier. Not every man was stubborn like Nik it seemed. She bowed to the man. "Thank you! I appreciate your help. Nik's not evil, but I just… couldn't stay."

"Good luck, Ria." The Jedi and the Trandoshan left. Ria went back to the recruit's room. That was a close one. She would get rid of Nik forever now, and without hurting him, at least not in the worst way. She spent the next hours to stretch the different parts of her body, then to practice. Then she had an hour to show how she progressed to Hanera, and her employer decided she would begin tomorrow. Finally!

At the end of the day, the troubles were mostly over in the Old Galactic Market. The Guild forces were mostly defeated, though a few kept fighting, but in very distant and isolated zones. Ria could go back without problems to her apartment. On her way she crossed the path of an officer of the CSF, Captain Winborn. Ria asked him on her way if the Guild still proved problematic. The officer assured her they were no serious threat anymore thanks to the help of a young Jedi. Ria, puzzled, asked questions about this Jedi. The details Captain Winborn gave her didn't give place to any doubt. A Trandoshan warrior for companion, male human with brown hair… It was the same Jedi who came to Ria a few hours ago. She managed to get the name of this Jedi from the captain.

When she got back to her personal apartment, Ria started to write a message to the Jedi, sending him a few credits with it. She had to thank him for what he did for her. _I just wanted to thank you for your help with Nik. I'm sure he gave you quite the sob story, but we're really better off apart. I've got dreams and ambitions, you know? I hope you'll come back to see me under less formal circumstances. Ria Deleru._

She wondered if she would ever see this Jedi again. She would rather see him again than see Nik again. With some hope, her former mate would move on with time, just like she did. She sent the message to Aurelianus Ciceron.

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 **The name given to the Jedi Consular here is the name of my own Jedi Consular in SWTOR.**

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	4. A New Member of the Jedi Council

**I'm sorry it's been more than a month since the last update. My job and my other fanfiction work took too much time for me to update this story before, but I didn't forget it. This chapter takes place two years after the previous chapter.**

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 **A NEW MEMBER OF THE JEDI COUNCIL**

Ria turned on herself, bent her body onward, then backward, moving her arms in the air and lingering them on her thighs, on her tummy, on her breasts, on her collarbone. Her client, a Rodian, was obviously very pleased by her dance and her outfit. Ria knew when men loved her dance from the facial expressions, the look in their eyes, and the very small movements they made as she gave them a performance. After fifteen minutes, the time allowed to the Rodian was over. He paid her very handsomely for her dance and left, obviously wishing he could stay longer. He would come back.

Ria sighed in relief. That was her last client for the day. She had danced all the night, just like she did six days per week for the last two years. But tomorrow was her day of leave. She could get some rest now. As she left, she crossed the path of Zala. She just arrived for her day and already looked exhausted like Ria was after a full night of dancing.

"Hello, Zala."

"Hello, Ria." Zala's voice looked dead and her eyes were empty. Ria seized her by the arm.

"Zala, what's going on?"

"Nothing. Let me go, I have work to do."

Ria refused to let her friend go. It was a few weeks she was like this now. She was worried by the Twi'lek's poor state. "No. You're going to tell me what's going on. You look like a dead body." Ria dragged her friend to a comfortable couch near the entrance. "Tell me everything. Why are you in such a state?"

Zala looked at her with eyes full of tears. "I can't support it anymore, Ria. It's been three years I have been there. And everytime a man looks at me, no matter his age or his specie, he looks at me as if I was some garbage, or something to eat. I can't support it anymore."

Ria knew what Zala meant. She felt the same way sometimes. Ria couldn't go in bars and public places as she used to when she started to work as an erotic dancer. More and more people knew who she was. She had grown bored of the looks of lust the men always threw at her, not only when she worked, but also outside. She could go out with her friends from Hanera's Troupe, but not much more, except when one of her clients invited her to sup with him. Her opportunities to have a life outside her profession were more restrained than ever. She had no friend outside her work, though it wasn't much different from the time she lived with Nik.

However, while Ria managed to live with it quite well up to now, other girls didn't have the same chance. Ria saw more than one break on their shift, burst into tears, and refuse to come back afterwards. Hanera always did her best to help them to stay if they wanted, giving them less humiliating dances or times of day when they would work. For example, for people like Zala, she would offer them to work during days when there were less clients. The girls were paid less too, but at least it was less demanding than working at night or during the week-ends. She could also grant them less time work to reduce the stress. Zala only worked four days per week now. However, it wasn't rare that girls left and were never seen again afterwards. One day, Ria discovered by watching the Holonet that one of her friends, Anola, was found dead in a dustcart, her wrists opened with a knife. This saddened Ria a lot. Anola was a very kind girl who never did anything bad to anyone.

Many girls working here started to develop problems of self-esteem after a few months or a year. Ria had managed up to now to not have this kind of problem. She detached her mind from her body when she was dancing, telling herself the men were only interested by her body and not by her soul. They judged her appearance, not who she really was, so why care about their judgment. But sometimes, she felt she was summed only by her physical appearance despite all her efforts. It never lasted long, but she didn't like this feeling all the same. She had gone to talk to Hanera about this one day. Her employer had looked at her very sad.

"Every girl who works in this kind of things feel this one day or another. I felt it myself when I was still dancing. It's difficult to support it. But we must. We cannot let that destroy us."

Hanera's words remained in Ria's head all the time. She looked at her friend who seemed about to be destroyed by this. Her whole body was shaking, her face turned to the floor, tears rolling on her cheeks. Ria grabbed a handkerchief in her pocket and used it to wipe Zala's cheeks from the water.

"You should go to speak with Hanera," Ria advised her friend. "She will help you."

Ria accompanied Zala to Hanera's office and left her there with her handkerchief. "You'll need it more than me."

Ria then left the rooms of Hanera's Dance Troupe and went to her apartment. With all the money she made, she managed to pay for a very wide and well furnished apartment with four rooms. She had a huge holo-projector that covered an entire wall, a bar with many different drinks and a few seats, food in great quantity and very good quality, a big and soft bed. The time for rations the CSF was distributing was over for her. She was a refugee no longer. However, her rooms were empty most of the days and she was the only one occupying them for the time left. Sometimes she missed Nik. She wondered where he was and what he was doing right now. It had been two years since she last saw him.

Ria was exhausted from her week. She worked more than most of Hanera's dancers and during the times of the day when there were the most customers. Hanera often kept the best customers, those who paid the biggest amounts of credits, for Ria, which made it even more difficult for her since she had to give expert performances. At least it was making Ria very rich. Credits were flowing in her bank account. Ria decided to eat something before she went to sleep. She took a Corellian drink called Flameout. She drank a very little cup that was enough to make her feel as if her tongue was boiling and her throat freezing. She then ate a full plate that consisted essentially of a very rare fish from her native planet she liked a lot.

As she ate, she turned on the Holonet and watched the news of the day. They were mostly talking about the Battle of Corellia. The Sith Empire had invaded it. Ria had feared the worst a few months ago when news had come the Empire had taken Corellia, but now it was almost over. Only a few pockets of Imperial resistance remained and the planet was now firmly in control of the Republic forces again. From the news the Holonet reported, three members of the Dark Council ruling the Sith Empire were killed in the battle. There had been demonstrations of joy in all the worlds of the Core Worlds when the news of the liberation of Corellia reached the planets. Celebrations had expanded to other worlds under the Republic's control, and even to some worlds occupied by the Empire. Ria had participated to some of them here on Coruscant. She hated the Sith. They destroyed her home not long after she and Nik arrived on Coruscant. Now, the Holonet was broadcasting a ceremony. The new Supreme Chancellor Leontyne Saresh was presiding it.

There were many senators and other important people, whether sitting or standing on their feet, applauding a man who walked along a red carpet that led to a platform where the Supreme Chancellor stood. There were many other people standing with the Chancellor on both sides, including two members of the Jedi Council and many other people of different species, some that Ria didn't recognize. The man who walked was wearing a white robe. When he climbed the platform and turned to face the people, Ria couldn't hold a cry of surprise.

She remembered a day two years ago when he came to see her. Nik had sent him to bring her back to him, but when she told this man she was better with Hanera's dancers, he let her stay and told Nik she had left Coruscant. She never saw him again afterwards, despite the message she sent to him, and now here he was, standing beside the Supreme Chancellor.

The Supreme Chancellor started to speak. "Ladies and gentlemen of the Senate, I present Aurelianus Ciceron, the Barsen'thor of the Jedi Order, and defender of the Rift Alliance."

The hall where the ceremony took place exploded in cheers and applauses. Ria's jaw dropped. The Barsen'thor. Ria heard about him. The Barsen'thor was a young Jedi Master that the previous Supreme Chancellor, Dorian Janarus, made his personal representative before the Rift Alliance, a coalition of planets that planned to secede from the Republic. Ria learned from the Holonet this Jedi played a vital role in the victory of the Battle of Corellia, but she had no idea it was this man. The young Jedi who helped her to send Nik away so long ago was now beside the Supreme Chancellor, a war hero, a Jedi Master. Ria recognized the Trandoshan warrior who accompanied him at the moment who also stood on the platform. There were also a Republic soldier, a Twi'lek clad in armor, a civilian with a beard, a girl with strange symbols drawn on her face and something that looked like the hologram of a young woman.

"As one of my first acts as Supreme Chancellor," resumed Saresh, "I have invoked the protocol of special requital, which ensures the Rift Alliance will be properly rewarded for its role in the liberation and the defence of Corellia. Several billion credits for rebuilding, privileged access to new hyperspace routes, extra support for their armies… These are only the beginning."

"The Rift Alliance thank you, Supreme Chancellor. They only tried to help and serve the Republic they are a part of."

His voice hadn't changed much since the last time. But Ria could recognize the calm, the serenity in it and the prudence of the words he used, just like when they discussed. She could barely believe what she was witnessing. And to say she had met this Jedi. If she had known he would be a Jedi Master not long after… She started to regret the message she sent him where she told him he could visit her for other reasons.

"Even with the war and the stretched resources of the Core Worlds, the Republic will do everything to grant any additional requests the Rift Alliance may have. We do not abandon our allies."

"Supreme Chancellor," the Barsen'thor started. "The Esh-khas fought to death for Corellia and its people. They sustained many heavy losses in this battle. Hallow Voice and his warriors deserve to be part of the Republic they defended."

A strange and tall person from a specie Ria never saw talked in a language she couldn't understand. It was probably an Esh-kha as the Jedi just called them. When he was done talking, the Supreme Chancellor granted the request.

"You and your warriors have more than proven yourselves. The Republic welcome you among its ranks."

"Senators." The Barsen'thor spoke again. "Corellia was also saved thanks to the help of the people of Voss. The Mystic Gaden-Ko, his commandos and his healers played a vital role in this battle. I propose them to become allies of the Republic and to create new links between the Jedi Order and the Voss Mystics. They could greatly expand our conception of the Force."

"Commandos will be honored," a strange man with a blue skin, yellow eyes and strange symbols on his face said. "I hope for learning. New Jedi to come to Voss. Mystics can teach. Jedi know dark and light. Mystics know gray. The pivot between. We can show."

A member of the Jedi Council, a man whose name Ria didn't remember, advanced. "The Jedi Council will consider to send more people to learn from the Voss."

Ria didn't have the impression this pleased a lot the Jedi Master who just spoke. The woman standing beside him, the Grand Master Satele Shan, remained silent as the Chancellor resumed her speech.

"The Rift Alliance is welcomed into the Galactic Senate once more. A representative will speak for its worlds before the Senate as the Barsen'thor did during the last year."

There was some argument between the three representatives of the Rift Alliance who were present about who would represent their Alliance before the Senate. Finally, the Barsen'thor stepped in and named the one called Shuuru to fulfill this office.

The Grand Master Shan spoke after that. "The Barsen'thor engineered the great victory of the Republic on Corellia. His devotion to the light and his diplomatic talents make him perfect to take a place on the Jedi Council."

The Barsen'thor looked surprised by this. "I can only thank you for this, Master Shan, though I doubt this is an honor I am worthy of."

"Your answer is only another proof that you're worthy of it."

The other Jedi intervened as well. "This is only a small reward beside the great service you have done, for all of us."

The Barsen'thor advanced on the platform. "I am only one person, among millions from across the galaxy, who stood up in the face of evil and said _no_. We cannot forget those who paid the ultimate sacrifice for us. We carry the burden of living up to their sacrifice. In the end, this success belongs to all of us. May that spirit of cooperation continue, for there are still many battles to win against evil. But no matter what happens, I will never bend the knee before it. We will never bend the knee before evil."

The crowd applauded and cheered for the Barsen'thor while he left the hall by the red carpet he arrived. Ria still had some difficulties to believe it. She met him. She knew him. And he had just been proclaimed the savior of the Republic and named on the Jedi Council. As the Holonet showed him leaving, Ria noticed the young woman who walked beside him. She was smaller and younger than him from what she could tell, with a very pale skin and tattoos on her face. Ria never saw a human looking like this. She wore gray robes and had a lightsaber at her belt. She was probably the apprentice of the Barsen'thor. However, what essentially caught the attention of Ria was the very subtle look they exchanged. Through her time as an erotic dancer, she had learned to read emotions and feelings on people's face, and she knew what that kind of look meant.

When the ceremony was over, they started to show other news about the war. It seemed the Republic was repelling the Sith Empire everywhere since the victory on Corellia. Ria shut the terminal and went to sleep.

Before she fell asleep, she wondered about this Jedi, Aurelianus Ciceron. If she had known at the time she was standing before the man who would become the Barsen'thor of the Jedi Order, a hero of the Republic and a member of the Jedi Council… How different she would have acted. How stupid she was to ask for him to visit her later as a client. Jedi weren't of the style to visit dancers, even less when they were on the Jedi Council. However, as she fell into sleep, she couldn't help but think about the way the Jedi and his apprentice looked at each other as they left the ceremony.

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 **The next chapter will be the real beginning of the fic with entirely original chapters. The story will really begin.**

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	5. A New Job

**The original part of the story begins here. I hope you'll like it.**

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 **A NEW JOB**

He paid her and left. Ria hated this man. He never told her a kind word, not even little thanks for her service. It was two years now that he came to visit her and he barely talked to her. The times when he talked was when he was dissatisfied of her performance and commanded her to do better. He was lucky to pay her well, or else she would spit on his face. She hated him. Couldn't he give her some acknowledgement after all this time? _He probably thinks I'm satisfied enough to get paid. Or he doesn't care what I feel_. Most of the clients at least thanked her after a dance.

Ria went to wash her face. She still had a long night before her. They were only in the middle of it, and it was the beginning of her week of work. She took her personal computer and looked at the name of the next man she had to satisfy. Rylan Stork. She never saw this man before. She ordered the computer to start a research for this name. It was the first time he visited Hanera's Troupe. And Ria was the one who would have to initiate him. Her performance had to be good enough to convince him to come back later, but not too much fantastic for he could be deceived if he came a second time. Ria prepared herself, changing her outfit.

A man wearing a robe, a cloak and a hood entered. His face was entirely hidden by the hood, just like all his body was kept out of sight by the cloak. Ria couldn't even see his hands that were behind his back from what she could tell. It wasn't the first time that someone came here with clothes to hide his identity, but she found this exaggerated. She put a smile on her face and welcomed the man all the same. She couldn't make a mistake with a new client. Maybe he would pay her handsomely.

"Welcome, sir. How may I please you?"

The man walked straight to a nearby table. "I need your personal services."

"Then you have come to the right place, sir. Please make yourself comfortable as I entertain you."

As she said the last words, he put a small round device on the table. Ria noticed a blink on it. The stranger turned to look at her. "No one will be able to see or to hear us now." He removed his hood. "It's been a long time, Ria."

Ria couldn't hold a little cry and put a hand on her mouth. He was the last person she expected here. "The last time we met was three years ago," the man resumed. "I was just made a Jedi knight at the time, and you just began to work here. I'm surprised you're still here after all this time."

Ria tried to recover from her surprise. "Things went better for you. You're now a member of the Jedi Council. Aren't you, Barsen'thor?"

The young Jedi nodded. "Yes, I am. Many things have changed since our last meeting."

He was looking at her, with something that looked like empathy on his face. That wasn't something Ria was used to with her clients. "How may I be of service for you?"

"May we sit first?" the Jedi Master asked.

"Of course. Make yourself comfortable."

The Barsen'thor went to sit on a couch and Ria took a place in an armchair to his left. "If you wish Ria, you can put clothes on."

"If that is your wish, Master Jedi." Ria put a cloak on her shoulders and wrapped herself in it. Some of the visitors asked her to put more clothes on her so she may partially undress before them, but she had the impression the Barsen'thor wasn't there for this reason. "What brings you here?"

Aurelianus Ciceron put a holocommunicator on another table before him and activated it. The hologram of a young man with hard muscles, wearing a mandalorian armor, with red hair, a thin scar on the cheek and brown eyes appeared. "Do you know this man?"

Ria recognized him immediately. "The Grand Champion of the Great Hunt."

"At least the one who won the Great Hunt two years ago. He's also the man who's actually researched for the murder of Supreme Chancellor Dorian Janarus." A pause followed. "We know he's one of your best clients."

"It's true." Ria hesitated before she answered, but there was nothing to gain from hiding it. Hedrick (that was his name, or at least the one he gave to Ria) came from time to time to visit her. He came with different clothes than his bounty hunter attire to remain unnoticed. Ria knew it was dangerous to have such a man as client, but what could she do? To denounce him could be dangerous. To refuse him could be dangerous as well. And he paid her well. Very well. Not to mention that he never mistreated or threatened her in any way. But she knew better than to try to sell him out to the authorities.

"Are you here to arrest me?" she asked.

"No. You committed no crime. There's nothing criminal in the fact to have occasional contacts with an assassin."

"Then why are you here?"

The Barsen'thor folded his hands and arched his back forward a little. "I told you, Ria. I need your service. Only I'm not talking about the personal services you perform usually."

If Ria had eyebrows, she would have frowned. "I'm afraid I don't understand what you mean."

The Barsen'thor stood up and went to look at the wall, his hands now folded behind his back. "I need information from this man. He is close to another man I need information about. That's why I need your help."

Ria understood. He wanted her to get information from the Champion of the Great Hunt. "I can't do this, Master Jedi. I can't help you. This bounty hunter… He's dangerous. If I was to spy on him and that he discovered it, he would kill me immediately. He didn't win the Great Hunt with kindness."

"I don't need you to gather very important or secret information. There is only one thing I need to know specifically. And to obtain it, you only need to make him talk about himself and his work. You don't have to ask anything specific from him. You've worked here for the last three years. I don't think you could have stayed here if you couldn't bring men to talk about themselves."

"No, of course. I can. I could… No, I'm sorry. It's too risky. I can't do it." Ria shook her head as she said it.

Aurelianus Ciceron, Barsen'thor of the Jedi Order, Defender of the Rift Alliance and member of the Jedi Council turned to face her. "Do you know, Ria, that Dorian Janarus was present when I was made a Jedi Master? The chancellor was the witness of my accession to this rank. He was the one to name me his personal representative before the Rift Alliance. This bounty hunter killed him." The Barsen'thor made two steps in her direction. "Janarus was a true servant of the Republic. He kept it united during the difficult times after the Treaty of Coruscant. I had a lot of respect for him. Your client assassinated him. And Dorian Janarus wasn't the only one to die by his hand. He killed several other people. And you refuse to get a few information from him?"

There was challenge in the Jedi's voice, but also some sadness as well when he mentioned the deceased Supreme Chancellor. Ria looked away. "I can't. It's too risky." She jumped from her chair and kept looking away. "I managed to make myself a comfortable life, if not a perfect one. And you're asking me to risk it. And for what? For some information I don't even know what it is? Or what it's worth?"

"May I recall you, Ria, that without my actions, you may not have this life you have."

Ria looked back at the Jedi. "You sent Nik away from me. You'll have my gratitude forever. But you're asking too much."

"And what if I could guarantee you my protection? And the one of the Republic? Not to mention enough credits to start a new life?"

That intrigued Ria. "What do you mean?"

"You'll be handsomely paid for your work. The credits will be deposited in your accounts progressively and you'll have enough money to live comfortably for the rest of your life without parading half-naked before men." He interrupted his talk for a moment. Again he looked at her with sympathy. "I may understand that you wanted to get away from a jealous boyfriend, Ria. But I don't believe a single moment you want to live this way for the rest of your life."

Ria held his gaze defiantly. "Perhaps you don't know me as well as you think."

The Jedi nodded faintly. "You're right. I can't pretend to know you perfectly, or to know you well. But I know one thing. You won't be able to work here forever. Youth and beauty will end one day Ria, even for you. What will you do then? What else will you be able to do after all these years you spent as an erotic dancer? Who will want to give you another work?"

Ria remained thoughtful about this. She didn't know what she would do in a few years. Sooner or later, even with the experience she had, she would be too old to perform as an erotic dancer. She hoped Hanera would offer her a partnership, or that she would be able to start her own troupe, or even that Hanera would retire and let her take her place. She discussed about it with Hanera a few times, and she seemed quite open to the idea. But did Ria want that? Hanera didn't seem happy as leader of the troupe. And Ria had doubts she would enjoy it herself.

"Furthermore." The Barsen'thor started to speak again. "Do you really want to keep working as a dancer, after what happened to Zala?" Ria's eyes widened in surprise. How could he know? "I have my sources. I know you were friends. I'm sorry."

The Jedi really looked sorry. Ria confessed everything, her voice broken. "She was… A difficult client. He wasn't pleased with what she did. At the end of her dance, she was crying and weeping like a child. So he put a knife on her throat and… The guards arrived just in time, but… She couldn't do it anymore. I tried to convince her she was safe, but it was too much for her. We found her body a week later, in the streets of the Old Galactic Market." Ria sat and looked at the floor. "She shouldn't have died."

"Like all the others. Do you really want to keep working here? Even if you don't end like the other girls, those who already suicided won't be the last. You'll have to witness it all your life. Could you live with it?"

Ria thought about it for a moment, then inhaled deeply. "How much?"

The amount Aurelianus Ciceron gave her was far superior to what she expected. She could live decently without working for the rest of her life with it. Or she could leave Coruscant and start a new life somewhere else. A world of possibilities seemed to open for her.

"What information do you need?"

"First, the identity of his employer. No need for you to obtain a name, just to gather some details about the man for who he works. The details will reveal for who he works."

"That's all?" Ria found it quite easy.

"Yes, but only for now. Once we'll have the confirmation that his employer is who we think, I'll need you to find something about the employer. Don't ever ask him directly. Have him talk to you about his life, about his work, about how he can have so much money. Ask him if he's tired. Let him talk, and question him the less you can. He mustn't have any doubt about you."

Ria nodded. She understood. "Do I have to register anything?"

"No. I won't put you at risk. He may have devices on him to detect recording technologies. I wouldn't be surprised considering the talents for informatics one of his crew member has." The Jedi took back the holocommunicator on the table and went to the other device that clouded all transmissions in the piece. "I'll come to see you a few days after this bounty hunter visits you the next time."

Before he deactivated the device, Ria asked him another question. "Are you sure you don't want of my usual personal services?" She asked it more by habit than anything else.

The Jedi looked back at her with a reprehensible face. "I am a Jedi, Ria." He turned back to the device and took it off, putting back the hood on his face before. "Thank you."

He walked towards her and put a hundred credits in her hand. And he left. When Ria went back to her apartment in the morning and consulted her account, she saw that several thousands of credits were added during the night by many individuals and corporations she never met or never heard of. It was the first payment. She was a spy now.

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	6. A Few Questions

**Not a very long chapter, I admit it. This story doesn't enthrall me as much as it used to, but I will bring it to its end. I don't stop to write a story before it's finished.**

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 **A FEW QUESTIONS**

He came after a Nautolan client. He was wearing civilian clothes over his armor and weapons. Ria wondered if it really worked as a disguise. After all, a Grand Champion of the Great could hardly pass unnoticed, no matter where he went, even more after he killed the Supreme Chancellor. But since he came back for Ria's services all the time, she supposed he managed, one way or another, to remain undiscovered or ignored.

"Hi, Ria. You're beautiful today."

"Thank you, sir. Thank you for choosing Hanera…"

"Yes, yes, I know the song. No need to play it for me again."

"What can I do for you today, Hedrick?"

After a moment of reflection, he simply said, "Surprise me."

Ria did her best to satisfy the bounty hunter. He seemed to enjoy her dance. Despite his hard ways, he wasn't entirely unpleasant. He never threatened or mistreated her, paid very well, and thanked her most of the time. They spoke as she performed her dance.

"Does the work go well, my dear?"

"Yes, it does. Like all the time. But since I'm not rich like you, I guess it doesn't go as well as yours."

The Champion laughed loudly. "Yes, you're right. Things are going quite well for me. But there's been a time when it wasn't so easy for me and my friends. Before I won the Great Hunt, I was only a wandering bounty hunter who took the bounties he could to survive. I worked hard to get where I am now. And I'm sure you must work hard you too."

"Is that a way to discover if I'm dancing to the full of my abilities right now?"

He laughed again. "Perhaps. I'll give you that. Will I get an answer?"

"You paid me to dance, not to answer questions."

He only smiled this time. "It seems I'll have to give you a bonus then."

Ria conceded to answer as a consequence. "I must save some energy for the other clients. You're not the only one I have after all. I'm sure you understand what I'm talking about. Bounty hunters work for more than a single client as well."

He sighed. "Yes, it's true. In normal times. Though I have to say I'm no longer the image of the usual bounty hunter on that score."

"You only have one client?" Ria was quite surprised by this and couldn't hold her question. The man before was smiling in a way that was amused, but perhaps cruel too.

"Yes, in some way. But don't expect me to tell you who he is. Part of my contract is to keep his name a secret. And like you said, I pay you to dance, not to answer or ask questions. So dance, my dear Ria."

Ria kept dancing until the time of her client was over. When she was done with it, the Champion gave her a generous amount of credit, more than he usually did. "I owe you for answering my question. A contract is a contract, and I always respect my contracts. A bounty hunter always pays his debts."

He started to grab his bag he let on the floor and Ria resumed the conversation as he did so. "Is your girlfriend alright?" She asked it with a playful smile.

It wasn't the first time she asked him about her, and he kept preparing to leave. "Yes, she is. Still travelling through all the informatic systems with the highest security systems. Getting herself into trouble too, as always."

"Perhaps you should forbid her to do so."

He sighed and laughed at the same time. "I'm a bounty hunter, with a crew of bounty hunters, criminals, pirates, and other people of the same likes. I don't order them like an officer in the army would or could. Anyway, Mako is too independent. She would never follow my orders. Even during the nights when we're together. And she's a business partner, which makes her my equal, not a subordinate." He stopped for a moment. He looked at Ria. "I shouldn't have said her name. What did you hear?"

He was serious now. Ria knew there was only one way out. "Sorry, sir. I was making sure my outfit was holding while you were talking. You were saying?"

He smiled a little fondly at her. "Good answer, Ria. I think I'll be going. We'll see each other again soon. Thank you."

He left without another word. Ria did her job as a dancer for the rest of the night, but memorized everything the Great Champion of the Great Hunt told her during his visit. The night went as it always went, without incident. When Ria went to her apartment as morning came, she was careful to look all around her. She feared someone may be following her, but if that was the case, she saw nothing that suggested it. The next night went normally, and the next one too, until her day off came. Ria rested at home like se always did and went back to work as always on the following day. It was only two days later that an individual with a hood and a dark robe came to see her and activated the cloaking device not long after he arrived.

"Barsen'thor." She greeted him as soon as the device was working.

"Ria," he greeted her in return. "I hope things are not too difficult for you."

"No more than they usually are. No one seems to follow me."

"In fact, someone is following you," he specified. Ria's eyes widened. "The Republic Strategic Information Service, or the Strategic Information Service if you prefer. The SIS is keeping an eye on you in case the Imperial Intelligence would try to attack you. I said you would have our protection."

Ria sighed in relief. "Good."

"So, he visited you last week?"

"Yes. He didn't tell me much. But I know he's working for only one employer. He told me so."

The Jedi Master looked intrigued. "Really?"

"Yes. Well, in some way, he told me exactly."

"In some way." Aurelianus Ciceron seemed to reflect about it. "Nothing else?" he asked, returning his attention to her.

"Nothing about his employer. But I know the name of one of his crew members. Mako. He said she spends her time travelling in high protected informatic systems. He's in a business partnership with her, but she is also his girlfriend."

The Jedi nodded in understanding. "Thank you, Ria. You did your work well."

He left not long later and Ria saw that the wages she received on her account were higher than usual at the end of the week. She was getting richer.

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